Nicole Bluh (Grow Where You Are), Reid Trapani (La Semilla), and Eugene Cooke (Grow Where You Are) by Jamillah McWhorter
Photos and words by Jamillah McWhorter, Procurement Fellow
With Farmer Champion Week approaching and local food procurement in Atlanta flourishing, now is the perfect time to delve into how Farmer Champion chefs and regenerative urban farmers cultivate and sustain their mutually beneficial relationships. These connections are key to inspiring and supporting the local food scene.
We recently sat with Reid Trapani of La Semilla, a Latin plant-based restaurant, and Eugene Cooke and Nicole Bluh of Grow Where You Are, a regenerative urban farm. In our conversation, the three explored their collaboration within the Farmer Champion program at Georgia Organics, an initiative that partners Georgia farms with local businesses looking to buy their product. The three delved into their shared values of food sovereignty, food justice, and regenerative farming practices—principles that are central to their businesses and help to foster a deeper connection with the communities they serve. Read excerpts from the conversation below:
What inspired you to cook/grow?
Trapani’s culinary journey began simply by spending time in the kitchen with his family. However, a significant turning point came in 2017 when he lost his mother to a brief battle with cancer. This loss inspired him to explore new paths and after studying art at Georgia State University, Reid applied his creative thinking to his ventures: “I started thinking outside the box. I realized something was wrong, so I began researching food systems in America, the nature of disease, and the reasons behind growing our own food.” Reid and his partner, Sophia, made the decision to go vegan, quickly noticing the benefits of a plant-based diet and the empowerment of making more equitable food choices.
In 2018, Reid and Sophia Trapani founded Happy Seed, a restaurant group dedicated to opening plant-based eateries. Six years later, their vision has materialized with La Semilla, aptly named “the seed,” symbolizing the beginning of their ongoing journey.
As an artist in Southern California, Cooke was initially driven by the need to provide his growing family with healthy, sustaining food. He began his farming journey with a mentor in California, focusing primarily on installing and maintaining home gardens. When approached about starting an urban farming venture with a former business partner, Cooke initially declined the offer. However, after the investors brought Cooke to Atlanta for planning, he fell in love with Atlanta's landscape and resources, he and his partner received funding to launch Truly Living Well in Southwest Atlanta.
Despite their enthusiasm, securing additional funding proved challenging. Cooke recalls banks being skeptical, with many saying, “There’s no way we’re going to invest in that. It’s 2007, and they’ve never seen a successful urban farm.” At that time, neither Cooke nor his partner could find any successful urban farms to point to, which only deepened the banks' reluctance.
Undeterred, Cooke drew inspiration from successful Black business owners and their examples of resilience. Though the journey was long, and many investors were wary of their business model, in 2014 Cooke established the social enterprise Grow Where You Are. Today, Grow Where You Are, proudly celebrates 10 years of operation!
Nicole Bluh was born in North Fulton County to an Argentinian mother, with her grandparents having been farmers in Argentina for several generations after migrating from Eastern Europe. Her own farming journey began out of a desire to address her own systemic health issues. Motivated by the success stories she saw online, Bluh was determined to change her lifestyle and eating habits.
In 2006, Bluh traveled to the Superstition Wilderness in Arizona to study with an herbalist. To her surprise, she was soon informed that her role would involve farming. Although she initially sought only to learn about plants and wasn’t thrilled about the farming aspect, she soon discovered that, in her words, “the work was the thing that was healing me.”
Upon returning to Atlanta in 2009, Bluh sought farms accessible by public transportation and found Truly Living Well—ironically, just after Cooke had parted ways with the farm. Since then, Bluh has remained dedicated to farming.
What is your intended hope and impact for your community?
Trapani begins by highlighting the high standards of hospitality typically found in non-vegan restaurants—standards he is committed to upholding at La Semilla. He aims to "plant a seed of conscious eating" and redefine what restaurants and dining can be. Although La Semilla is a plant-based restaurant, Trapani hopes to appeal to a diverse range of dietary preferences. Trapani finds the term "vegan" sometimes "cognitively dismissive," so he avoids using it in the restaurant’s marketing and branding. This approach seems to be working, as he notes, “most of our customers aren’t vegan.” He emphasizes that people appreciate the opportunity to be educated through their dining experience.
Photo by La Semilla of their 2024 Farmer Champion Week dish “Bistec de Palomilla" (local Lion’s Mane Mushroom)
At La Semilla, you may not find mainstream brands like Tito's Vodka, but you will learn about local distilleries and farms they partner with, such as Grow Where You Are. Trapani believes it is their responsibility to educate their community about their choices and to set an example of high-quality, plant-based local sourcing. They are committed to advancing dining standards and sustainability, and Trapani is confident that this shift is underway in their community.
In celebrating a decade in Atlanta, Cooke reflects on their journey and the impact it has made. The essence of their mission, encapsulated in their name, is to inspire others to "grow where you are" and to be a catalyst for broader growth and change. Cooke says, “for anybody who has a touch point with us, similar to La Semilla, it should be the starting point of something bigger...and it should be the place where you start to think more about how we eat, think more about who our money goes to, how to form partnerships, how to deal with our waste streams...”.
A key differentiator for Grow Where You Are is their selective approach to collaborating with chefs. They work with a diverse range of culinary professionals, from those who have turned to healthier eating after personal losses to those who seek exceptional ingredients. “We’re looking to be a place where people check in for quality and integrity”, states Cooke. This commitment ensures that every dish prepared with their produce affirms those distinguishments.
Unlike many farms at markets where customers may interact with staff who aren't involved in the farming process, Grow Where You Are prides itself on direct engagement with the actual farmers. This personal connection reinforces their dedication to authentic, high-quality produce and transparent farming practices.
As they’ve continued their mission, the integration of their products with the Medicinals created by Earth Rich Herbs exemplifies their cooperative approach. Nicole, for instance, can proudly share that the herbs used in her products are grown and harvested at their peak by her from the farm. While many botanical apothecaries source herbs online, both Grow Where You Are and Earth Rich Herbs ensure their offerings are of unparalleled quality due to their hands-on, peak-harvest approach. Their intention remains to foster fruitful, abundant, and healthy partnerships, reflecting their ongoing commitment to excellence.
What are some of the challenges you all face buying, growing and selling locally?
“The floor of locality is already superior to your average", says Trapani, alluding to a previous instance at La Semilla when after purchasing another farm’s locally grown parsley, Cooke and Bluh delivered their parsley during the middle of service. Due to its remarkable quality, Trapani decided to stop service for 10 minutes to change the parsley they were previously using on their Lion’s Mane Dish for Grow Where You Are’s parsley. Trapani uses this story to highlight one challenge in buying locally, and that is product variability between local producers that can make it difficult for restaurants to offer a consistent high-quality dish. Local produce can sometimes be harvested early or late, affecting its taste and usability, which requires the restaurant to adapt and sometimes delay service.
Bluh answers by describing how growing and selling locally in Atlanta presents a unique set of challenges for their business. As an urban farm, operating across multiple sites in the city involves dealing with transportation logistics and the steep cost of living in the Atlanta area vs. a rural location. Additionally, balancing a busy schedule that includes educational and farm work while managing these logistical issues is a constant juggling act.
Despite these obstacles, they view challenges as opportunities. For instance, expanding their market attendance at Freedom Farmer’s Market and working closely with clients like La Semilla, who exclusively sources Lemon Verbena from Grow Where You Are, helps them manage excess produce effectively. Trapani makes it a point to consistently check in with the farmers as well after they sell at the farmer’s market to help with offloading any produce that may be leftover.
Bluh mentions some barriers to scaling up conventionally like their commitment to using only the herbs grown on their farm sites, “I can’t always make the product I want to make because the herb hasn’t gotten mature enough.” referring to her business, Earth Rich Herbs. Bluh makes it a point to harvest herbs for her products at their peak. Cooke adds another challenge to scaling up being the reality of needing more land to grow, which requires significant investment. Meanwhile, their focus remains on maintaining strong client relationships and adapting to the evolving market. Cooke makes a point that supporting local farmers and understanding their constraints helps customers appreciate the value of their purchases and the efforts behind them.
In what ways do you believe your partnership contributes to a more resilient and equitable food system?
“I think everybody here can name some example of just being screwed by a vegan restaurant or vegan food in some capacity. Like, I can't believe that this costs this much? You know what I mean?... And the unfortunate side of that is the fact that whether it's a product or whether you're spending more time, the amount of time I spend in this building and prepping food, I don't charge for my time”, says Trapani. He goes on to talk about how he thinks of himself as an employee although he is the owner when maneuvering, and this helps Trapani to ensure he is upholding realistic standards for his team and himself. This way of thinking also influences the way Trapani prices food at La Semilla, and he mentions that the average amount someone spends there is $33. With that, patrons with various financial abilities can fully enjoy the restaurant experience while also tipping staff appropriately. They strive to keep costs accessible, avoiding the common practice of inflating prices to cover premium ingredients or services. This approach supports a diverse customer base while ensuring the long-term viability of their business.
Additionally, Trapani prioritizes purchasing from smaller, local farms, even if it means spending more than with larger suppliers. They consciously choose to support these smaller operations, recognizing their struggles and valuing their contributions to the local food ecosystem. This practice not only promotes equity by providing financial support to less well-known farms (who may not have the infrastructure or marketing capacity that larger farms have) but also strengthens the community by fostering relationships with local producers. At La Semilla they make sure to communicate about these local partnerships with the staff and, importantly, the customer. Overall, the partnership's focus on affordability, local sourcing, and equitable spending helps build a more inclusive and resilient food system.
Next, Cooke explains, “When it comes to how we are contributing to a more equitable food system...this is something we have been communicating to organizations like Georgia Organics for years...supporting Grow Where You Are is automatically supporting the people who are doing the work, and the people who are what they would call marginalized.” Grow Where You Are is a proudly Black-Owned and majority Woman-Operated business that has uplifted many underrepresented individuals in the agricultural community for over a decade. Founded on principles of equity, the organization extends this commitment to fairness through their apprenticeships, by paying above-average wages to reflect the demanding nature of the work and to attract and retain talent.
A concrete example of their impact is illustrated by a former trainee who now leads an organization with substantial funding. Even with her success and organizational growth, she continues to consult Grow Where You Are for urban agriculture training opportunities, highlighting the ongoing need for increased food production. Grow Where You Are places a strong emphasis on developing new growers and providing training for young people interested in farming. As Cooke notes, “everything that Grow Where You Are puts in the ground is already sold,” demonstrating their commitment to ensuring their produce reaches those in need as well as their limited capacity. Their goal is not only to meet current demand but also to inspire and cultivate the next generation of farmers, thereby ensuring long-term equity and sustainability in the food system.
In conclusion, the partnership between Farmer Champion chefs and regenerative urban farmers in Atlanta exemplifies a powerful model for cultivating a more equitable and resilient food system. This collaboration between Reid Trapani of La Semilla and Eugene Cooke and Nicole Bluh from Grow Where You Are highlights how shared values of food sovereignty, justice, and sustainability can drive meaningful change. Cooke’s emphasis on supporting marginalized individuals and maintaining equitable employment practices through Grow Where You Are demonstrates a deep commitment to fairness and community upliftment. Trapani’s approach at La Semilla reflects a dedication to affordable, high-quality, and locally-sourced food, reinforcing the importance of equitable pricing and support for smaller farms.
Nicole Bluh, Reid Trapani and Eugene Cooke, at La Semilla by Jamillah McWhorter
Through their dedication to community support, fair pricing, and local partnerships, Trapani, Cooke, and Bluh are not just enhancing the local food scene but also setting a standard for how intentional, thoughtful collaboration can drive systemic change. Their work exemplifies how investing in local and regenerative practices can lead to a more resilient and inclusive food system, ultimately benefiting everyone involved.
You can stay connected with La Semilla by following their Instagram @lasemilla.atl and visiting the restaurant located at 780 Memorial Drive SE, #4A, Atlanta, Georgia. Be sure to check them out during Farmer Champion Week, September 6-13, 2024!
Also, visit Grow Where You Are at Freedom Farmers Market at The Carter Center, located at 453 Freedom Parkway Northeast, Atlanta GA, 30307, on every 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th Saturday, 8:30am-12:00pm. Be sure to follow them on Instagram @growwhereyouare for updates and more ways to be involved.